In Strasbourg on Tuesday 4 April, the College of European Commissioners held a seminar on the social dimension of the European Union and the deepening of Economic and Monetary Union (EMU), following the recent White Paper on the future of the Union of 27 (see EUROPE 11736).
The Commissioner for the euro, Valdis Dombrovskis, described the discussion as an opportunity to look at how to update the European social acquis against a backdrop of deep disruptions related to digitalisation, the ageing population and migration. This situation has brought new challenges in tackling inequality and social fragmentation, he said.
The reflection document on the social dimension, which is anticipated for 26 April (see other article), will also touch upon what value the EU can add in education, training, health and consumer protection as well as the digital agenda and research.
EMU. Dombrovskis also took stock of the measures, adopted or tabled, within the report of the 'Five presidents' of June 2015 listing a roadmap for the completion of EMU by 2025, including the finalisation of banking union in the Eurozone (see EUROPE 11340).
The Commissioner said that further progress must be made to concretise financial union, to support the reduction of financial risks and promote solidarity in parallel. He also floated two ideas to promote convergence within the Eurozone: one on creating European support to protect investments and the other on a European unemployment insurance scheme. The latter is a political and legal challenge and will first require convergence of the employment market, Dombrovskis observed.
However, the discussions of the day did not touch upon the possibility of merging the positions of European Commissioner for Economic and Financial Affairs and President of the Eurogroup, with the President of the informal body of Eurozone finance ministers, Jeroen Dijsselbloem, currently in hot water (see other article).
The reflection document on EMU is expected for the end of May. (Original version in French by Mathieu Bion)